Monday, September 20, 2010

Tiger skin seized from post parcel at airport

CHENNAI: In a first, air customs officers at airport on Friday seized a tiger skin sent from London as parcel.

The tiger skin was 8 feet long from head to tail and 6 feet wide from leg to leg. The body was 2.10 feet in width, said a customs press release.

The parcel was detained by the air intelligence unit of customs under suspicion that it might contain contraband. But it turned out to be a tiger skin when the parcel was opened. The parcel was addressed to a person in Chennai.

Wild Life Crime Control Bureau has confirmed that the skin and skull is genuine and that it belonged to an Indian tiger.

Customs Commissioner R Periasami said the skin was seized after we found that it is a violation of wildlife protection Act. Investigation is on to trace the person who sent it. It might have been sent abroad from India years ago, he said.